Positive stories for schizophrenia

[Herewegoagainok]

A close relative has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He has displayed classic symptoms for years but his diagnosis has just changed from psychosis to schizophrenia which he is having a hard time coming to terms with. I think the fact that this is something he will live with forever and will have to manage and treat rather than coming off the pills once he's better which is what he was expecting with psychosis.

I'm trying to find positive stories of people living a normal life post diagnosis, can anyone help? I found a website called schizophrenia survivors but it is American and all the stories were from university graduates and academics which he wouldn't find relatable.

@Herewegoagainok my fiancé’s best friend has a diagnosis of schizophrenia which he got in his late teens, he’s now getting on for 40. Since then he’s done some volunteering, got a 1st class honours degree, now works for the government and is married with children. The majority of the time he doesn’t take meds but if he can tell his mental state is deteriorating, then he takes oral antipsychotics for a period of time. I don’t think he’s taking them at the moment? Despite just going through a very stressful phase -money worries, moving house, new job and unwell wife. His insight is great and he views it like long term condition like asthma or diabetes

This is despite his family being very unhelpful. He’s not allowed to say his real diagnosis, he’s just allowed to admit to depression

I think 5 years of constantly being asked how he feels, how he is sleeping, scales on whether he is feeling like a 5 or a 1 without getting any insight has left him jaded with it all which I totally get.

Absolutely, it sounds really frustrating. But the point of a really good EWS plan is exactly to manage this. If he, and the people close to him, know his early warning signs, and there's a robust plan of what he can do if he spots them, then he should be able to take more of a role in managing his situation, the reliance on professionals (and their questions!) should reduce. Would he be more willing to engage if he thought it might reduce the need for some of the external monitoring? Sorry, I know it's not always that straight forward in practice, but I'm a huge believer in the power of a good EWS plan.

@MistySkiesAfterRain I think db could do with some friendships. He lost his friends in his 20s and has struggled to forge bonds since then. He's a likeable person and I've always internally questioned his reliance on my parents and at times, blamed it as part of the problem when really it's the other way around. I hope he can open up in the future and get a decent friend or two.

@EL8888 thanks for sharing. That sounds ideal and I guess time can give you that acceptance with a condition like this. This is what I hope for.

@LittleMissNaice I really appreciate your post I'm going to try to engineer it so I'm present at the next appointment. I think he hates my involvement as when he was very ill he would see it as me interfering but it sounds like an early warning plan would benefit him both in the short term and long term.

@Herewegoagainok yeah l think time is helpful. He evens says he wouldn’t change any of it, even when he was really unwell. As it’s all shaped the person he is today

This is an interesting podcast on BBC Sounds
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p05q82d8

And this talk, which isn’t the one by Eleanor Langdon.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=x0KCEnJ5Yl4

Have you come across Mental Health Mates?

mentalhealthmates.co.uk/mhm/

Thank you all for those extra resources! I hadn't heard of mental health mates that's one to keep an eye on.